Barcelona is part of what is known as Catalonia (or Catalunya), which only became part of Spain in the 1700s. During the 20^th century some of Catalonia’s previous sovereignty was reestablished and the region is now considered an autonomous community, which has some sort of separate but equal connotation that does not sit well with the nationalists.

The politics on the independence of Catalonia are clearly evident in the separatist flag you will see displayed outside of about 1 in 10 homes. You can also hear all about it on the talk radio station your cab driver will inevitably be listening to – it is on at all times of day and night and cannot be listened to any other way than super loud. If your cabbie is not a separatist, he will instead listen to old 90s hits from America. Be prepared to hear a lot of Vanilla Ice. You may find you actually prefer the Catalonia Nationalist rant radio.

Some things to consider before you go:

1. They do not speak Spanish in Barcelona, they speak Catalan. This is the language of Catalonia, but it is not Castellano Spanish. There are elements of Castellano Spanish for sure, but even if you are fluent in Spanish you will struggle with Catalan. Don’t give up – speaking Spanish is still better than only speaking English! If you learned Spanish from watching Mexican soap operas you are speaking Mexican Spanish and will have a harder time – but you will still make it. Catalan incorporates a little French, but not that much. If you are fluent in French, but not in Spanish, you are probably better just speaking in English. Learn a few Spanish phrases and just be content knowing you will figure it out even if you are lacking nuance.

2. Barcelonans go out LATE. They eat dinner at 11 pm. They stay up until 5 am and they sleep until 11 am. If they can’t sleep late, they are up bright and early knowing there will be time for rest during the daily “siesta”. This appears to happen any time between 2 pm and 6 pm and can even last as long as 8 pm. It is difficult to say who will observe a siesta and how long it will last.

Tip: If you plan to shop in El Born or Barrio Gotic, go between 12 pm and 2 pm or wait until after 6 pm. You might show up at 4 pm to find 1 in 3 shops closed for business. You might have better luck with a restaurant reservation if you like to observe the traditional American dinner hour, but many places don’t even open until 8:30 pm. Get used to eating late, staying up all night and sleeping in.

3. You will eat bread. And cheese. And meat. And you will eat lots of these things. Grocery stores have 6 aisles of cheese and twice as many aisle of ham. This is not the place for weird American dietary needs. There are no vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free menu options – only bread and cheese and ham. Your table will have a wine glass, an ashtray and a ham menu.

Tip: Leave that gluten free, paleo, low carb attitude at home.

4. You will not get water with your meal. The Spanish don’t drink water with meals, and if they do it is mineral water (agua con gas or simply “con gas”). You will not get a free glass of water anywhere. If you break down and order the mineral water, be prepared to receive one 8-ounce bottle to split between 4 people. Just order a glass of sangria and deal with it.

5. DON’T ORDER CHARDONNAY! Barcelona has a myriad of wonderful, affordable red and white wines – mostly blends and even their low-end wine is decent. Don’t show up intent on ordering your favorite Pinot Grigio and complicate things. Just order vino blanco or vino tinto and be thankful for whatever comes your way. On the rare occasion you do receive a wine menu, most of it is not going to be wines you are used to seeing. Don’t worry you won’t end up with a bottle of Lambrusco. Even their communion wine is good.

6. Lastly, Barcelona is known for pick-pocketers and gypsies. This is not a secret. Don’t set your purse or wallet down for a second. Don’t carry your iphone in your back pocket and don’t carry a bucket style purse or traditional handbag. If you are aware of your surroundings, avoid the subway, and use common sense you won’t end up broke and stranded on the streets of Barcelona. Don’t be the fool with his map out and his camera bag half unzipped standing in the middle of the promenade virtually screaming “rob me!” but don’t be the freaked out group of German high school kids headed to the hostel on Las Ramblas frantically clutching their bags in front of them with both hands either. This screams both “tourist” and “loser” and, ironically also “rob me!”

This is one my very favorite cities and I have had the good luck to visit several times in 10 years. If you want special insider tips from the WTF team send us a message or post a question here. We’ll be happy to help if you promise not to wear a fanny pack or order Chardonnay.

Where to stay:

• Hotel Neri is right in the heart of Gothic neighborhood (Barrio Gotico) and very close to El Born, two places you will want to be all the time. We have not stayed here, but know it would be very central to everything you want to do. However it could be noisy due its very central location – great reviews and beautiful property though. http://www.hotelneri.com/en/hotel
• Hotel Do is also right in the heart of Las Ramblas next to the Barrio Gotico. You won’t be far from anything you need to do and some of these rooms have private terraces with private pools. It is right in the heart of tourist activity and probably won’t allow for sleeping late. http://www.hoteldoreial.com.
• The Serras has an amazing location close to the water in the part of town called Barceloneta and is still super close to El Born and Barrio Gotico. It’s higher priced, but beautifully appointed.  As far as a water property is concerned you don’t want to go any farther Northeast toward Porto Olympico or toward the convention center. If you end up over here you will need to take a taxi most places, which are about 10 to 15 euro each way. http://hoteltheserrasbarcelona.com/rooms.html.
• Hotel Alma is located in on my favorite avenue in the city, Passeig de Gracia. The neighborhood is called the Eixample (pronounced Eye Shomp Luh). This avenue has tons of shopping and restaurants and is still only a 15-minute walk to Las Ramblas and the Barrio Gotico and El Born neighborhoods. Plus it’s closer to Sagrada Familia. These rooms are nice by they don’t have balconies. It will be quieter here but Hotel Alma is still on a busy road so ask for a higher room or a room that faces away from PdG. http://www.almabarcelona.com/index.php?tipo=galeria&id=0&city=barcelona&subgrup=Suite%20Alma.
• Hotel Ohla is located right on the avenue between Barrio Gotico and El Born so it’s in the heart of everything, with an increased likelihood of being noisy, but steps from shopping and museums. Cabs are super easy to grab right out front on Via Laietana. There is a small rooftop pool that is pretty cool for views but not necessarily for swimming. The rooms are bigger than the rooms at Hotel Do or Hotel Neri, but these do not have balconies like The Serras do. http://www.ohlahotel.com.

Where to eat:

• El Quatre Gats in El Born is a must for its novelty. The food and the atmosphere are nice, but the main reason people go is for its fame as a popular hangout of Pablo Picasso. The paella is HUGE and definitely enough for two people. You definitely need a reservation.
• Tres Fochs in the Eixample has great appetizers and a wonderful salmon. The waiters don’t speak much English but the menus are in English so you can always point. Do not order the table wine – pick a nicer bottle or else its kind of sweet.
• Parco also in the Eixample is only the best sushi you will ever eat. Simply tell them “todos flambeados” and they will bring you all these great flame prepared sushi options that are so delicious you will want to eat dinner there every night. You definitely need a reservation.
• 7 Portes in Porto Olympico has menus in every language and great wine. White tablecloth dining, but not too expensive. Don’t go too late or they will start mopping under your chairs while you finish dessert! Great paella though – some of the best we had in Spain.

Anywhere they sell montaditos or pinchos. Just walk up to the case and take one, order a draft beer and have a fantastic lunch for $12. Also the market on Las Ramblas has dining like this. Try the Sangria (anywhere) at least once. It’s sweet, but not sweet like the America varieties.

What to do:

• Get lost in El Born and Barrio Gotico. Wander into the alleys adjacent to Las Ramblas and shop and explore for days. Duck into the market when it rains, or have a glass of rioja and a montadito while watching a punk rock street musician sing Prince covers.
• Leave Las Ramblas and walk along the boardwalk down by the Hotel Arts and Porto Olympico. There’s also a  nude beach along this path if that’s your thing.
• Take the Montserrrat wine tour if you have enough time. It takes you on a trip to the mountain winery, stops for lunch and wine tasting and allows you to take a tram over the valley. It leaves SUPER early, so we did not do this tour, but heard really good things about it.
• Take the train to the South of France for the night.

What to see:

• Sagrada Familia – cannot miss this. Reserve your tickets in advance and get the towers access ticket so you can go up in the elevator with your admission. At the top you get a better vantage point and can see all the views in Barcelona. If you want to see those human pyramids, go on a Sunday afternoon. It will be much more crowded, though and you will be at greater risk for pick pocketing.
• Gaudi architecture tour – you can do a lot of this on your own with a street map, but if you buy a ticket for one of those tour buses you can get your bearings on the city a lot faster and can end up seeing quite a bit more in a day. You can also use this bus system ($30/person for a two day pass) to get from place to place if you learn the routes. Much faster than walking and much cheaper than a cab!
• Olympic Park and Parc Guell

What to skip:

• The Picasso Museum is kind of a bore. It skips his blue period and everything between the 20s and the 50s and most of his truly iconic work is shown in other museums so you won’t see that there.